ILOCOS SUR — Amiable Aubrey Tom of Rizal delivered a tidal wave of performance in the girls’ 400m individual medley Sunday as she emerged the first triple-gold winner in the Philippine Sports Commission’s Batang Pinoy at the Quirino Stadium pool in Bantay here.

Tom, a 15-year-old Grade 10 University of the Philippines Integrated School student, checked in at five minutes and 31.10 seconds in ruling the girls’ 400m IM that hiked her total to three.

The UAAP double-gold winner took the 100m free and 200m IM the day before.

The Cainta-based lass came short of her five-gold effort in the last edition of the Batang Pinoy three years ago in Puerto Princesa, Palawan but was just happy to get back in winning form after she almost lost interest in the sport.

“I almost quit, I’m just happy to be back and winning,” said Tom.

Also in swimming, Kristian Yugo Cabana of Lucena and Kyla Louise Bulaga of La Union claimed their second gold while cyclist Maritanya Krog of Caloocan emerged as her family’s new hope from a long line of champion racers.

Cabana timed in 1:5.40 seconds in copping his second gold in the boys 100-meter butterfly 12 and under to add to his 200m individual medley mint the day before while Bulaga grabbed the girls’ 100m fly gold in 1:12.70 that came a day after she ruled the 200m IM.

The pair of feats put them in the elite company of two-gold winners that included Tom, a 15-year-old native from Cainta who topped the 100m freestyle and 200m IM in last Saturday’s inaugurals.

Sharing the spotlight was the 13-year-old Krog, youngest sibling of former national riders Rex and Mathilda who captured the girls’ 13-and-below gold in 37:43.519 ahead of Iloilo’s Maria Louise Alejado (39:12.067) and Calapan’s Jhanah Abella 39:16.426 in the race that started and finished in front of the Provincial Capitol.

“Pangarap ko pong maging national team at makalaro sa ibang bansa,” said Krog after claiming her biggest victory in her young career.

Also striking gold in cycling were Emmanuel Arago of Batangas City, Jacqueline Joy de Guzman of Quezon City, and Chris Andreu Ferrer of Cebu City.

Arago was a class of his own in the boys 13 and below as he almost overlapped the rest of the field before checking in at 36:5.012 seconds, or a whopping more than two minutes ahead of eventual silver medalist Dashiel John Carmona of General Santos with a 38:05.131. DJ Perez of Pangasinan took the bronze in 38:05.214.

De Guzman, in contrast, edged Davine Novo of Tuguegarao in a mad dash to the finish in snatching the girls’ 14 to 15 mint in 46:48.768, or a fraction of a second behind the latter with a 46:48.928. Mica Angela Montaos settled for a bronze in 47:43.073.

Ferrer likewise needed a late push to snare the boys 14 to 15 gold in 52:44.492, besting eventual silver medalist Brendz Agyn Celerian of Iloilo City (52:44.850) and bronze winner Mark Dave Pipo of Ilocos Sur (52:45.069).

In the girls’ long jump also at the Quirino Stadium, Sophia Angela Mae dela Vega of San Jose City delivered the first golden feat in centerpiece athletics after she reigned supreme with a leap of 4.77 meters.

Dela Vega bested a field of 37 jumpers including Jesalyn Materdan of Masbate and Angelica Jane Balason of Quezon City, who copped the silver and bronze medals with 4.52m and 4.37m, respectively.

Over at the Caoayan Gym, Elaine Jane Calunsag of Bayawan and Hannah Shene Cabalida of Cebu City reigned supreme in weightlifting, a sport where the country hopes to produce another Hidilyn Diaz, a Tokyo Olympics gold winner.

Calunsag topped the girls’ 26-kilogram division with a total lift of 55kg, 20kg in snatch, and 35 in clean and jerk, while Cabalida blew away the competition in the 30kg class by lifting 74kg, 34kg in snatch, and 40 in clean and jerk.